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Step 5

Step 6

Difficulty: Easy

In 1 hour you can remove 35 to 50 square feet
of paper

$75 for tools and materials

Q: I'd like to paint my kitchen, but I
have to remove the wallpaper first. How do I do it? —Kenneth Chin, Trumbull, Conn.

Rich O’Neil, painting contractor and owner, Masterwork Painting & Restoration, replies: Removing old wallpaper is an easy project for most homeowners and well worth the trouble. You just cannot get a decent-looking surface if you leave the paper in place and put paint or new wallpaper over it.If you’re lucky enough to have "strippable" wallpaper, all you have to do is grab a corner and peel off whole sheets. But if the paper sticks stubbornly to the wall, you'll have to dampen the surface with a concentrated, enzyme-based wallpaper remover that breaks down the adhesive holding it to the wall. With a proper soaking, wallpaper will come off in large swaths, not bits and pieces, and before you know it the whole room will be a blank slate ready to be covered with the finish of your choice.

Shown:This Old House assistant editor, Sal Vaglica strips wallpaper using a putty knife.